Published: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 09:28 AM.

EGLIN AFB — Lt. Cmdr. Chris Tabert took his time Saturday flying the Navy F-35C in from Fort Worth, Texas.
“The weather was perfect, so we took advantage of it,” the test pilot said after the two-hour flight to Eglin Air Force Base.
About 100 people gathered to greet the Navy joint strike fighter squadron’s first F-35 when it landed about noon rather than hit Crab Island, joked Capt. John Enfield, commander of VFA 101.
“It’s an indescribable milestone for us,” Enfield said of the 87 or so pilots, maintainers and support staff that have been waiting at Eglin for a little more than two years to get an F-35 of their own.
They have spent that time learning in the classroom, training on simulators and helping with the Air Force and Marine variants.
Now with an F-35 of their own, “we’re starting to look more like a regular squadron,” Enfield said.
Navy crews have a checklist of things to go over before the jet starts its training flights later this summer, he said.
The F-35C differs from the Air Force’s F-35A and the Marines’ F-35B in that it is designed to land on aircraft carriers. Its wingspan is a little wider and it can carry more fuel for longer flights. The F-35C also is a little slower so it can land in tighter spaces.
Navy pilots will practice carrier landings at the relatively remote Choctaw Field at the west end of Eglin’s reservation. F-35s must circle much lower than the other variants to land on carriers, and the noise would be too great at Eglin.
The first Navy jet had been scheduled to arrive in April, but adjustments that come with any new weapons system delayed things, Enfield said.
Tabert had no problems Saturday.
“They did a great job designing it,” Tabert said of Lockheed Martin. “The airplane flies beautifully. It’s a very easy airplane to fly.”
Eglin now has a total of 26 F-35s: 13 Air Force F-35As, 12 Marine F-35Bs (including two owned by the United Kingdom) and the F-35C.
That will change soon enough. The second F-35C is expected to arrive this week, and VFA 101 should have six or seven by the end of the calendar year, Enfield said. In about 18 months the squadron will boast 15 jets.

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published
without permission. Links are encouraged.

EGLIN AFB — Lt. Cmdr. Chris Tabert took his time Saturday flying the Navy F-35C in from Fort Worth, Texas.
“The weather was perfect, so we took advantage of it,” the test pilot said after the two-hour flight to Eglin Air Force Base.
About 100 people gathered to greet the Navy joint strike fighter squadron’s first F-35 when it landed about noon rather than hit Crab Island, joked Capt. John Enfield, commander of VFA 101.
“It’s an indescribable milestone for us,” Enfield said of the 87 or so pilots, maintainers and support staff that have been waiting at Eglin for a little more than two years to get an F-35 of their own.
They have spent that time learning in the classroom, training on simulators and helping with the Air Force and Marine variants.
Now with an F-35 of their own, “we’re starting to look more like a regular squadron,” Enfield said.
Navy crews have a checklist of things to go over before the jet starts its training flights later this summer, he said.
The F-35C differs from the Air Force’s F-35A and the Marines’ F-35B in that it is designed to land on aircraft carriers. Its wingspan is a little wider and it can carry more fuel for longer flights. The F-35C also is a little slower so it can land in tighter spaces.
Navy pilots will practice carrier landings at the relatively remote Choctaw Field at the west end of Eglin’s reservation. F-35s must circle much lower than the other variants to land on carriers, and the noise would be too great at Eglin.
The first Navy jet had been scheduled to arrive in April, but adjustments that come with any new weapons system delayed things, Enfield said.
Tabert had no problems Saturday.
“They did a great job designing it,” Tabert said of Lockheed Martin. “The airplane flies beautifully. It’s a very easy airplane to fly.”
Eglin now has a total of 26 F-35s: 13 Air Force F-35As, 12 Marine F-35Bs (including two owned by the United Kingdom) and the F-35C.
That will change soon enough. The second F-35C is expected to arrive this week, and VFA 101 should have six or seven by the end of the calendar year, Enfield said. In about 18 months the squadron will boast 15 jets.